Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
264. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions she has had with her counterparts in the EU in relation to the proposed EU/Mercosur trade deal, with particular reference to the need to protect the Irish agri-food sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73555/25]
View answerThe European Commission presented its final package on the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement on 3 September and its proposal for the adoption and approval of the agreement by the Council of the European Union and European Parliament. The package includes the consolidated text of the original agreement negotiated in 2019 and the additional legal instrument addressing trade and sustainability commitments, which was agreed in December 2024. It also includes several accompanying initiatives, which are intended to address agricultural sector concerns. They include a proposed legal act to operationalise safeguards to protect sensitive products, a financial safety net for farmers, and commitments on the alignment of production and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.
We have always been clear that such free trade agreements must defend our most vulnerable sectors and that our farmers’ livelihoods must not be undermined through weak or ineffective environmental standards in other countries. This position is clearly outlined in the Programme for Government, which, in January 2025, stated that the Government will work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal. In our trade negotiations, we have always been guided by standing up for and defending the interests of Irish farmers, along with raising concerns on climate, biodiversity and deforestation.
It’s worth stating that imports from Mercosur must continue to comply with all EU standards that protect food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare, as well as EU consumer interests. The agreement does not weaken these requirements in any way. In line with the ambition set out in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission has committed to step up SPS import controls by increasing the number of audits and checks in third countries, and by strengthening controls on the ground. It is vital that these standards are vigorously upheld by the Commission to address the concerns of the farming community.
Over the past number of months, Government ministers and officials have continued to engage intensively at EU level – with both the European Commission and with counterparts in EU Member States, including like-minded countries – to voice our concerns with the agreement and to interrogate the outcome of negotiations to assess if our concerns have been adequately addressed. The Government has also remained in regular contact with Irish stakeholders from the agriculture, environment and business sectors, as we sought to fully understand their concerns. Since taking on the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I have discussed international trade developments with my counterparts from a number of EU Member States, including at the Council of Trade Ministers.
It is important that we continue to assess the package in its entirety to understand if our concerns with the agreement have been adequately addressed. Pending that examination, Ireland’s position on the EU-Mercosur Agreement remains as clearly outlined in the Programme for Government.
